No. 8 Ohio State (19-3, 10-1) continued rising up the Big Ten standings on Sunday, picking up a 74-69 win over No. 10 Indiana (18-3, 9-2) to take control of first place in the conference behind 45 combined points from Jacy Sheldon and Cotie McMahon.
The Buckeyes – who have now won nine straight games – were able to stifle the Hoosiers defensively, forcing a season-high 23 turnovers for Indiana that resulted in 21 points for Ohio State. The Buckeyes were also able to hold star Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes – who averaged 20.5 points per game entering the contest – to 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting (50.0 percent).
The top-10 teams went back and forth in the early stages of the contest, with the lead changing hands nine times through the first eight minutes of the game as the Hoosiers held an 11-10 lead with 2:09 left in the first. But after trading shots, Ohio State began to take over, utilizing an 8-0 run over the final 1:49 of the frame – including triples from guard Sheldon and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková – to lead 18-11.
Indiana guard Sara Scalia went on a personal 7-0 run early in the second quarter to cut the deficit to just 20-18. Rikki Harris responded for the Buckeyes, and on the ensuing possession, Scalia had the ball stolen by McMahon, who scored and was fouled on the other end, hitting the free throw to lead 25-18 with 7:48 left.
But the Buckeyes then missed four of their next five shots as Indiana took off on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 27, a stretch during which fifth-year guard Celeste Taylor went to the bench with an injury for the rest of the half.
After a jumper from Mikulášiková, Indiana guard Yarden Garzon hit from deep to give the Hoosiers a 30-29 lead with 5:10 left. Ohio State guard Taylor Thierry responded with a triple, but Indiana closed the half on a 7-0 run, holding the Buckeyes scoreless over the final 4:09 of the quarter as it led 37-32 at the break.
Thierry knocked down a pair at the line to start the third quarter, and after Sheldon and Scalia traded baskets, McMahon began to take over, contributing eight points to an 11-0 run as Ohio State went up 50-42 with 3:45 left in the frame.
Indiana guard Chloe Moore-McNeil broke the run with a jumper, but Mikulášiková hit from deep and Taylor got a steal followed by the ensuing basket in transition before a triple by Scalia made it 55-47 in favor of the Buckeyes heading into the fourth.
Sheldon extended Ohio State’s lead to double digits on the Buckeyes’ first possession of the fourth quarter, kickstarting an 8-2 run for a 63-49 lead with 7:32 left in the game. But following a made free throw by McMahon, she committed her fourth foul and went to the bench. With McMahon out of the game, Indiana took off on an 8-2 run to cut the deficit to 65-57 with 4:14 left, leading to a timeout by Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff.
Out of the break, the Buckeyes turned the ball over but responded on the next possession with a triple by Thierry to lead 68-57 with 3:03 left. Holmes scored at the other end, and McMahon later fouled out with 1:45 remaining. The Hoosiers then got back-to-back triples from Garzon – with a layup from Sheldon in between – to make it 70-66 with 28 seconds left.
Sheldon hit a pair at the line following a foul by Indiana, but Taylor fouled Scalia at the other end on a three-point attempt that led to three makes at the line, making it 72-69 with just 16 seconds left. After another foul by the Hoosiers and Thierry going 1 of 2 at the charity stripe, Indiana missed at the other end and Sheldon closed it out at the line.
Sheldon led the Buckeyes with 25 points on 8-of-20 shooting while McMahon had 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting with a team-high seven rebounds. Scalia led Indiana with 25 points, while Garzon added 14 points and nine rebounds.
Ohio State will return to the court on Thursday, set to travel to Minnesota for a 9 p.m. tip on Peacock.
